mining

Urgent concern: how mining damages wildlife on land and at sea

17 September, 2018

Source: Mining Technology
Author: JP Casey

From Rio Tinto’s bauxite operations in Australia to Nautilus’ Solwara 1 project in Papua New Guinean waters, the work of mining companies can have a significant – and often destructive – impact on local wildlife. Guidelines and legislation operating above the level of national governments could help to guide mining towards a less destructive future, but questions remain over their effectiveness.

Continue reading Urgent concern: how mining damages wildlife on land and at sea

Deep-sea mining causes massive loss of species lasting for decades

7 September, 2018

Source: Phys.org

In cooperation with an international team, Senckenberg scientists examined the impact of deep-sea mining – such as the extraction of manganese nodules – on the species diversity at the ocean floor. They were able to show that even 26 years after the end of the mining activity a significant loss of ground-dwelling organisms can be registered. Filter-feeding animals are particularly affected – more than two decades after the mining operations, almost 80 percent of the species remain absent. The study was recently published in the scientific journal Biogeosciences.

Continue reading Deep-sea mining causes massive loss of species lasting for decades

Deep-sea mining: A dangerous prospect

6 September, 2018

Source: The Pioneer
Author: Kota Sriraj

A fall in the number of deep sea organisms illustrates the adverse impact of mining our oceans. This ruthless exploitation must end

Oceans are the lifeblood of planet Earth and humankind. They flow over nearly three-quarters of our planet and hold 97 per cent of the planet’s water. They produce more than half of the oxygen in the atmosphere and absorb most of the carbon from it. About half of the world’s population lives within the coastal zone, and ocean-based businesses contribute more than $500 billion to the world’s economy. With credentials such as these, oceans of the world need to be treated with utmost care. Sadly, this is not the case. According to the Ellen MacArthur Foundation report, oceans are already filled with about 165 million tonnes of plastic, and it is estimated that by 2050, the weight of plastic floating in the oceans of the world will far outweigh the combined weight of fishes in it. To make matters worse, the prospect of deep-sea mining for precious metals, gas and petroleum is emerging as a serious threat.

Continue reading Deep-sea mining: A dangerous prospect

Groups urge moratorium on deep sea mining exploration, exploitation

25 July, 2018

Source: The Guardian
Author: Chinedum Uwaegbulam

Frontline environmental group, HOMEF foundation has warned that international waters – known as the “common heritage of kind” – are under a new, imminent, and most deadly threat from the deep sea mining industry.

The warming is coming in the wake of a global meeting by the International Seabed Authority (ISA), a UN agency which has not received much public scrutiny until now, meets in Kingston, Jamaica this week to discuss how to open up the deep sea bed to mining.

Continue reading Groups urge moratorium on deep sea mining exploration, exploitation